Keeping Garden Pests Away This Summer – 6 Garden Pest Control Tips
It’s quite difficult to have a beautiful garden without dealing with pesky garden pests. However frustrating, many have experienced the blood, sweat and tears that go into cultivating a beautiful backyard. Who hasn’t spent weeks planting and watering seeds, tending them carefully, excitedly watching them sprout from the earth only to witness garden pests nibble away the fruits (and vegetables) of your labour.
Sadly, your hard-won garden attracts all manner of summer garden pests eager to mooch off of your hard work. Luckily, protecting your garden is as easy as identifying the garden pests giving you trouble and then finding the appropriate way to combat them.
To help you begin your counter-offensive, here are some great garden pest control tips that don’t require harmful pesticides!
Identifying Common Garden Pests That Require Summer Pest Control
Aphids On Plants
If your plants are starting to look ragged and discoloured, chances are you have aphids to blame. You can often see aphids on plants by looking at the bottom of the plant’s leaves. These extremely tiny plant lice can be found on almost any plant as they simultaneously suck out its sap and infect it with their acidic saliva.
Cabbage Moth & Other Caterpillars
If your produce begins to sport tiny bite marks, or you spot a slimy trail on the leaves, then chances are you have caterpillars, slugs and/or snails in your garden.
Despite its name, the cabbage moth actually feeds on many different types of fruits, vegetables and crops. However, it’s not so much the cabbage moth you need to fear, but the offspring. Cabbage moths lay their eggs on cabbage and other vegetables, which then grow into little green caterpillars called cabbage worms that feast on vegetables such as kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, and their namesake, cabbage.
Rabbits & Larger Garden Pests
Many think of insects when they think of garden pests, but there are also larger critters that can cause serious harm to your garden. Sadly, the most dangerous summer pests are also the cutest: rabbits and hares are voracious little monsters that will eat you out of house and home if you give them half a chance.
You may also have mice, rats, gophers, squirrels or other rodents terrorizing your garden and lawn. While rabbits have no issues sitting around munching on your greenery, other rodents are more likely to dig up seeds or pull out seedlings to nibble on. Some signs that you have mice or rats in the garden, as well as the aforementioned pests would be holes in the soil where you’ve previously planted seeds, dug up seedlings or small plants from the roots and tunnels in the ground connected by small holes at both the entrance and exit.
Black And Yellow Spider, Yellow Garden Spider & Other Garden Spiders
Spiders are a little more complicated when it comes to whether or not you choose to classify them as a garden pest. Garden spiders don’t eat your plants, in fact they’re actually likely to eat some of the other garden pests you’re dealing with.
However, they can make it difficult and potentially painful to weed, trim, and otherwise manage your growing garden. Not to mention, you’ll want to be careful reaching into a dark corner of your garden to collect any vegetables or fruits, as coming into accidental contact with a garden spider of any kind to result in a nasty bite.
Fortunately, wearing gardening gloves and long sleeves can help prevent any nasty bites. This allows both you and the garden spiders to coexist peacefully. After all, you do both share the same goal – getting rid of other garden pests.
Tomato Worm
Tomato worms aren’t actually worms, however their real name is tomato hornworm. They are green caterpillar pests, similar to cabbage worms, that fest on tomato patches and other plants in the nightshade family. This includes eggplants, potatoes, peppers and tobacco. They can be hard to spot, as tomato plants grow quite large. Additionally, these pests are very good at blending in with their surroundings. The problem is, these tomato worms can basically feast non-stop, leaving holes in both the fruit and leaves.
Looking For The Best Garden Pest Control? Call The Experts.
Dealing with aphids naturally can be difficult as there are many of them, they’re minuscule, and can spread very quickly. One of the best ways to get rid of aphids is by planting things that will attract their predators. Luckily, one of aphids’ primary predators are ladybugs who you can attract with dill, Queen Anne’s Lace and other plants. A less certain solution is to plant strongly scented herbs, like chives and basil. However, it’s not as effective.
Dissuading caterpillars, slugs, snails and other soft-bodied insects can be accomplished by spreading eggshells around the soil. This is essentially daring them to traverse a minefield if they want to munch on your lettuce.
Lastly, to keep rabbits and other rodents away, you need strong garden fencing. Similar to the kind they use for a chicken pen or on a farm. These pens need to be dug in deep around the garden. If they’re not deep enough, critters will simply burrow underneath. Additionally, planting garlic or spraying garlic-infused water on your plants might keep rabbits and other rodents away. The smell irritates their noses, however this is not a guaranteed solution.
If your garden is beset on all sides by garden pests and summer pests, trust Terminix Canada. We will protect your prized crop with humane, effective pest control solutions. Contact us today to protect your garden.